Electric Fields In and Near Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium  An electric conductor has some mobile charges that are free to move in the conductor and along its surfaces.  Electrostatic equilibrium means that charges are in static equilibrium . This means that there must be no net electric force on any mobile charge. 1. 0 E  in a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium.  If E was 0 in the conductor, then a mobile charge q would be acted on by a net electric force 0elec   E q F   , and would therefore have a nonzero acceleration and would therefore not be in equilibrium. No!  q elec F  E  2. Any isolated (separated) charge on a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium can only be on its surfaces (outer and/or inner—if hollow). If isolated (separated) charges were resent in the conductor then electric field present in the conductor, then electric field lines would start or end on each charge, and E  would 0 in there. 3. E  just outside the surface of a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium

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Unformatted text preview: No! E + must be perpendicular ( ) to the surface. If E had a component parallel ( ) to the surface ( | | E ), then a mobile charge q on the surface would be cted on by a force and No! q elec F E acted on by a force | | elec E q F , and would therefore have a nonzero acceleration and would therefore not be in equilibrium. Mobile electric charges in/on the conductor redistribute until these conditions for electrostatic equilibrium are met. || E (A) (B) each of the abo e cases the In each of the above cases, the conductors have charges that are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign. In each case, the positively charged conductor is the one on the ght right. Draw electric field lines for each case. Which best describes the path of the proton between the two plates with equal charge magnitudes but pposite signs? opposite signs? A. B. C. D. E....
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